Lothar Kahn's backstory has all the ingredients of a Hollywood movie, but the reality is far more tragic and even unremarkable. Kahn has lived two of the most compelling narratives of the 20th century: the Holocaust and the D-Day invasion.

Arabs and Israelis could only bring about an overall end to their conflict if the rights of displaced refugees on all sides are recognized. Is it not right that both sides should have their claims taken into account?

This month the United Nations marks World Refugee Day, a star-studded, multimedia campaign to raise awareness about the plight of refugees. Yet mention of one group of refugees will be noticeably absent: the 850,000 Jews expelled from Arab countries during the past six decades.